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When help arrives

Unless they are delivered by helicopter a mountain rescue team may take quite a long time to arrive. They have to collect their kit and make their way by Land Rover and/or by foot to where you are. So you should do everything you can to keep yourselves warm and comfortable. Remember in particular that a casualty can get very cold as they may not be able to keep themselves warm by moving around.

Mountain Rescue will almost certainly arrive in a small team. One of the team will identify themselves as the leader and will ask for an update on the situation. Please report everything that is significant even if you have already relayed that information in your initial call for help. From this point on the team will take care of any casualties but they will also do their best to keep the rest of the party warm and evacuate them as soon as possible.

HelicoptersIt's just possible that an RAF helicopter or air ambulance will arrive before a rescue team on foot. If you see a helicopter approaching get someone to stand with their arms wide apart upwind of a spot where you think they may be able to land. The crew will be looking for someone doing this rather than people waving. At night don't shine torches at the approaching helicopter - it will blind the pilot who is likely to be using a night sight. The dull glow from a mobile phone screen waved gently from side to side is apparently ideal and can be seen from miles away.

Useful publications

Call Out Mountain Rescue?: A Pocket Guide to Safety on the Hill is an official publication of Mountain Rescue England & Wales. As well as having useful information on hill safety there is interesting background history on the formation of the mountain rescue teams. It is a handy little booklet in a sturdy metal ringbound format that will not fall apart easily if you carry it around in your sack. Profits from its sale go to Mountain Rescue.